1. All Employment Network Call
May 7, 2015

2. Agenda Welcome General Announcements
Ticket Portal Update and Testimonial
Presentation - U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs' and Labor's collaborative employment service model for Veterans with disabilities
Questions

3. Employment Coordinator Department of Veterans Affairs
Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment and DVOP: Assisting Service-Connected Veterans Achieve Suitable Employment
Jacqueline Zepp
Employment Coordinator Department of Veterans Affairs
May 7, 2015

4. What is VA Voc Rehab?
Benefit program to help Veterans with service-connected disabilities obtain and maintain suitable employment and/or achieve independence in daily living.
This is an Employment Program with the end goal suitable employment.

5. Suitable Employment
Consistent with veteran’s interests, aptitudes and abilities
Does not aggravate veteran’s disability
Stable and continuing
Requires reasonably developed job skills

6. Eligibility Veterans: Cannot have a dishonorable discharge
VA service-connected disability (SCD) rating of 10%

7. Entitlement to Services
20% SCD Rating AND Employment Handicap or 10% SCD Rating AND Serious Employment Handicap
Vocational rehabilitation is required to overcome an Employment Handicap
Reasonable expectation that VR services will result in rehabilitation

8. Entitlement to Voc Rehab
Tracks to Employment:
Rapid Access to Employment
Employment Through Long Term Services
Independent Living Services
Self-Employment
The purpose of this program is to provide the services and assistance necessary to enable qualified veterans to find and maintain suitable employment, and if needed, to achieve independence in daily living.

9. Employment Services
Development of an Individual Employment Assistance Plan
Resume Development
Interviewing Techniques
Purchase tools or equipment necessary for Veteran to maintain employment (i.e. mechanics)

10. Employment Services Continued
Purchase Uniforms necessary for Veteran to maintain employment
Special Employer Incentive
Referral to Disabled Veteran Outreach Program Specialist
Transition Support or Non Paid Work Experience

11. Non Paid Work Experience
Benefit to Veteran:
Supplements other training or experience
Serves as a transition to employment.
Provides hands-on work experience
Provides current work experience
Builds confidence
Provides subsistence allowance
Provides exposure to government employment opportunities

12. Non-Paid Work Experience (cont.)
Benefit to Agency:
High quality worker at no expense
No “red tape” to hire or fire - no promise of employment upon completion of experience
Minimal paperwork
Flexible - does not have to be full-time
Placement can be at any local, state or federal government facility
Can utilize special hiring authorities to hire trained veteran

13. Special Employer Incentive (SEI)
Pays employer for additional expenses incurred in providing direct employment or training for VR&E participants through an on the job training program.
Requires minimal paperwork
Employee is trained by the employer’s standard
Three to six months for the completion of SEI

14. Benefits to Employers
VA VR&E has over 80 Employment Coordinators placed in Regional Offices
Contact your local VA VR&E Employment Coordinator to explore partnering

15. Employment Coordinator
Questions?
Jacqueline Zepp
Employment Coordinator

16. DVOP and VR&E: Assisting Service-Connected Disabled Veterans Get Back to Work
Joel H. Delofsky, Senior Program Analyst
U.S. Department of Labor
Veterans’ Employment and Training Service

17. Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program
The Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) began as a special pilot effort in 1977
Outreach to disabled and Vietnam-era Veterans (2,000 staff)
Made permanent in 1980 by Public Law (P.L.)
First VETS’ Grants to States in 1981 (1,800 Staff)
Role and Duties enumerated in:
Jobs for Veterans Act (P.L ) of 2001
VOW to Hire Heroes Act (P.L ) of 2011
FY 2014 and FY 2015 Appropriations Acts (P.L and 235)
Agency Directives
Veterans’ Program Letters (VPLs) to State Workforce Agencies
(VPL 03-14, 04-14, 07-14, 08-14)
Here are some facts about the history of DVOP and some more up to date references. DVOP specialists are currently located in more than half of the 2,467 American Job Center or Comprehensive and Affiliate One-Stop Career Centers.

18. DVOP Role and Duties
Serve service-connected disabled veterans and other individuals with significant barriers to employment (SBE)
Serve individuals identified in statute
Transitioning Service Members and eligible spouses
Wounded, ill or injured or wounded service members
and their spouses/family caregivers; or,
Serve Individuals designated by the Secretary of Labor
Unemployed Veterans between 18 and 24 years of age
Provide maximum emphasis on economically and educationally disadvantaged veterans.

19. SBE Categories
An eligible veteran or eligible spouse is determined to have a SBE if he or she attests to belonging to at least one of the six criteria below:
Special disabled/disabled veterans (including VR&E participants);
Homeless veterans;
Unemployed recently-separated veterans;
unemployed for 27 or more consecutive weeks;
Incarcerated veterans and ex-offenders released from incarceration within the last 12 months;
Veterans lacking a high school diploma or equivalent certificate; or,
Low-income veterans (as defined by the Department).
DVOP Specialists assist and may be out stationed at Homeless Veterans shelters and VA Vocational Rehabilitation Offices.

20. VA-DOL Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) Service; and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)
Establish Joint Workgroup (JWG) Guidelines
JWG Established Collaborative VR&E/VETS Processes
VETS’ DVETs and VA’s VR Counselors collaborate during:
Intake/orientation
Career identification and selection
Through training
Joint job development and placement
“Ensure all Participants receive quality employment assistance”
Adopt White House Job-Driven Training Initiative Elements

21. White House Job Driven Training Elements
Employer Engagement
Private – Public Partnerships
Localized Labor Market/Career Information
Job / Career Results

22. Referral and Placement Services
VRC refer Chapter 31 (VR&E) clients through a State Agency Intensive Services Coordinator (ISC)
ISC identifies a DVOP Specialist
DVOP Specialist contacts VR&E Participant
Enters initial information on VR&E tracking sheet
Expands upon Individual Employment Plan
Localized Labor Market/Career Search
Referral to Job/Training Opportunity
Records Placement/Career Results
Provides VR&E Tracking sheet to VA through ISC
Collaborate/Report Monthly and Annually (December 15).

23. VR&E Tracking Report (VETS-201)
Tracking Reports will include the total number of clients:
Referred from VR&E Service Employment Coordinators (EC)/Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC) to the DOL-VETS Point of Contact for employment services
Referred who are not provided direct client services
Who enter suitable employment (work that is within each Veteran's physical and emotional capabilities and is consistent with his/her abilities, aptitudes, and interests)
Who maintained suitable employment for at least 60 days and meet Title 38, United States Code, Chapter 31 (38 U.S.C. 31) rehabilitation criteria per Section of Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (38 CFR§21.283)

24. Questions or Comments Joel H. Delofsky, Senior Program Analyst
USDOL – VETS